Jeonju 全州
April 7: We originally planned to take a bus to Jeonju, but we changed our plans at the last minute and took a morning train instead. However, we couldn't find the express train tickets online, so we went to the train station in person to only get the tickets for non-direct rides. We had to transfer trains; unfortunately, the second-leg train was almost fully booked. Our seats were not even in the same train car. Initially, we were unaware of this situation and thought there was just an aisle separating us. However, after boarding the train, we noticed someone had already occupied one of two seats, and we assumed it was a mistake on their part. Even the train staff were initially confused and took a while to realize that one of our seats was in a different car. After experiencing the difficulty of buying train tickets today, our first task upon arriving in Jeonju was to secure our tickets back to Seoul two days later. To our astonishment, almost all the train tickets for that day were already sold out. There are more than ten trains going to Seoul every day, but only the earliest two trains in the morning had tickets left, and they were only standing tickets in the connecting area between two train cars. With no other choice, we quickly bought the tickets.
The most famous attraction in Jeonju is the traditional Hanok Village, so we decided to stay in a Hanok house to experience it fully. Finding a room in the village wasn't easy, but we found one smaller than two beds combined with a private bathroom. With the absence of conventional beds and chairs, we knew that sleeping on the blankets on the floor might be challenging for us. We hope our stay in the Hanok house will give us a unique and immersive experience. The Taxi ride from the train station to the village was quick, and we found our Hanok house without much trouble. The host welcomed us warmly and explained some rules we had to follow when staying in a Hanok house, such as taking shoes off before entering the building, wiping off the suitcase's wheels before taking it inside the room, etc.
After dropping off our luggage, we went to find something to eat. We went to a restaurant recommended by our host and ordered Tteokgalbi and Bibimbap in a hot stone bowl for two. Tteokgalbi is a popular Korean dish made from ground pork ribs like burger patties in the U.S., seasoned with various ingredients such as soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and spices, and then grilled over charcoal. It was delicious.
The Hanok Village has two bustling main streets filled with a vibrant atmosphere. You'll find numerous food stalls, restaurants, and souvenir shops along these streets. The roads are often crowded with locals and tourists exploring the area and enjoying the cultural offerings. Many rental shops offer traditional costumes. These shops allow visitors to immerse themselves in the culture by dressing in beautiful hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). It's a lovely sight to witness people of all ages, both locals and tourists, strolling through the village in conventional attire, capturing pictures of timeless moments and creating a captivating atmosphere. It may also allow Korean people to preserve and celebrate Korean cultural heritage in the village.
We first visited Gyeonggijeon, the most famous tourist attraction in the village. Gyeonggijeon, built in 1410, was dedicated to enshrine the portrait of King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. The portrait hanging in the main hall now is a replica, while the authentic one is kept in the Portrait Museum, which was closed for renovation. In Gyeonggijeon, Koreans dressed in traditional costumes took photos and made timeless memories. Some places had long queues for taking pictures because they appeared in many historical Korean movies and TV dramas. Since we were unfamiliar with Korean history or dramas, we just walked around casually, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
More people were on the street when we came out from Gyeonggijeon. Some shops had long lines. We took a coffee break at one popular café, did some people-watching, and just enjoyed the afternoon.
In the evening, we went to the night market and joined the locals in queuing for a famous thin meat pancake featured on a reality TV show. It tasted excellent. We also tried different flavors of steamed dumplings, red bean buns, and grilled pork belly skewers. Each food stall at the night market sold something different, so we had the opportunity to try various dishes.
April 8: How was our sleeping on Yo, the traditional Korean-style bedding, last night? The experience of sleeping on the floor varied for each person. Chenggang found sleeping on his back the most comfortable position during the night on the floor. The heated floor provided warmth and coziness, enhancing the sleeping experience. However, there were certain inconveniences, particularly when it came to using the toilet during the night.
On the other hand, for those who preferred sleeping on their side or had joint and back issues, the experience was quite uncomfortable. Within half an hour, Connie started experiencing pain and discomfort. Additionally, getting up from the floor posed a challenge due to the absence of furniture or support. It often resulted in straining the back again. It took some time for her to stand straight, and she felt that she had become one of those hunchbacked old ladies we had seen on the streets of Korea. After a restless night and waking up with pain all over her body, Connie vowed never to stay in such accommodations again in the pursuit of experiencing local life. But we hope the memory will be short, and we will put experience over short-term discomfort again.
In the morning, a simple breakfast was served in our room. The host lady brought a tray for each of us, consisting of two slices of toasted bread, jam, a few apple slices, and two bowls of sesame porridge. The room was tiny, and there was only a little space left near the entrance since the blankets were spread out and covered most of the floor. The host told us to fold the blankets, put them aside, and have breakfast where we slept. It was indeed a multi-purpose floor. It looked like it was covered with a floorboard, but it was traditional Korean paper. That was why when we arrived yesterday, the host specifically asked us to clean the wheels of our luggage before bringing them into the room to prevent the paper from getting dirty and damaged.
The compactness of the Hanok house and the minimalist furnishings reminded us of the simplicity and elegance of traditional Korean architecture. The small bathroom, although essential, served its purpose adequately. We appreciated the effort to maintain the conventional design even in the bathroom, adding to the overall authenticity of the Hanok house experience. Staying in a Hanok house was a departure from the usual hotel accommodations, which may not be comfortable. Still, the overall experience gave us a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of Jeonju.
After breakfast, we walked across a bridge to venture out of Hanok Village and had a cup of morning Latte in the art district. In the neighborhood, we encountered an artist who had set up a small art garden decorated with beautiful pinwheels on the street. He enthusiastically invited us to take photos in front of his artwork and encouraged us to post them on social media to give him a thumbs-up. Then we walked along the river and over the bridge to the Nambu market, just missing the weekend market.
We didn't stay too in the market. We ventured near the city gate, where a Korean youth dance competition was scheduled. We were excited to witness the vibrant performances of the young participants. However, despite waiting patiently for over half an hour, the competition had not yet commenced. Realizing it might take longer, after seeing a short practice run, we decided to leave the area and explore other parts of the village.
When it was time to satisfy our hunger again, we went to a place we had an eye on it yesterday. Jeonju is Bibimbap's birthplace and is one of our favorite Korean dishes. In the United States, we call it stone pot rice because the rice and vegetables are served in a hot stone pot. After coming to Korea, we found that most restaurants only serve it in stainless steel bowls, and although the taste is still good, it doesn't have the same sizzling flavor as when served in a hot stone pot. We decided to try it today when we passed a restaurant yesterday and saw they did Bibimbap in a hot stone pot. The stone pot Bibimbap was better than the stainless steel bowl version, but we still felt the ones in the U.S. suited our taste better. We also ordered a small pork rib soup, which tasted good. On Saturday, the streets were filled with visitors, most locals, and the cars were not allowed to enter the village.
After a satisfying meal, we climbed to Wansanhilbong Peak in Wansan Park. The mountain has historical significance in Korean history. At the top, we had a panoramic view of the Hanok Village and Jeonju.
Walking down from the park, we went to the mural village outside of Hanok Village. In the mural village, the exterior walls of every house were painted with various colorful murals, bringing new life to the originally old and simple dwellings.
Back in Hanok Village, we returned to the area near the city gate where the dance competition had started. We watched for a while and then went to the nearby night market. We ordered another portion of the thin meat pancake we had just eaten the previous night, and a large box of fried mini crabs served as our dinner. We didn't finish fried crabs; just too much grease food today.
Tomorrow we will return to Seoul, and our journey of exploring Korean cuisine and experiencing the local culture will slowly end. Our daughter summed up our trip to Korea quite well: EAT, EAT, EAT.
4/7: 原本准备乘坐大巴去全州的，临时改坐上午的火车去那里，网上没法买到我们想坐的快车，我们就直接去车站，买到车票但需要中转一下。中转后那一段的火车满座，我们俩座位还不是在一个车厢。开始我们还没认识到，以为只是隔了个走道。上车后看别人已坐在其中一个位子，以为别人坐错了。车上工作人员开始也没搞懂，看了老半天才发现我们的一个位子是在另外一个车廂。有了今天火车票难买的经历，到了全州后在火车站第一件事就是把二天之后回首尔的车票先搞定。一问吓一跳，那天的火车票几乎已全部卖完。每天有十几班火车去首尔却只有早上最早的二班还有票，且只剩站票，只能站在二节车厢的连接区。没别的选择，我们就赶紧把票买了。
全州市里最著名的就是传统的韩屋村，去韩屋村玩就该试一下住韩屋里。房间不容易订，我们这次订到了一间几乎比二个床还小的房间，没床没椅子，被子就放地上，晚上摊开就直接睡地上。还好小房间有个小卫生间。今晚睡在地上不知会怎样的感觉。
放下行李后，先去找东西吃。在房东推荐的一家饭店里要了两人份的Tteokgalbi+石锅饭。Tteokgalbi是用猪排肉做的肉饼，是当地特色，非常好吃。
然后就开始在小村里逛。整个韩屋村有二条大街，两旁有不少小吃店，饭店和纪念品专卖店，街上挤满了游客。到处都是出租传统服装的店，租的人还真不少。路上到处都是穿着漂亮传统服装的人，看着很养眼。我们先来到庆基殿，也是小村里最有名的旅游景点。修建于1410年的庆基殿是为了供放朝鲜开朝皇帝李太祖的遗像。现在悬挂在真殿里的太祖遗像当然是假的，真品在肖像博物馆里，但博物馆正在修整没开放。在庆基殿里，韩国人穿着传统服装在那里拍照留念。因为这地方出现在许多历史电影及电视剧中，所以有些地方排长队照相。我们不熟悉韩国的历史和韩剧，就随便走走看看热闹了。
晚上去夜市场跟着当地人排着长队要一份上过电视节目的薄肉蛋饼，味道的确不错。又吃了不同味道的蒸饺，豆沙包子，还有烤五花肉串。觉得这个夜巿场各个摊位卖的东西都不太一样，这样我们就可以多吃点。
4/8: 昨晚睡地上的感觉因人而异。我觉的还可以，朝天睡是最好姿势。地是加热的，睡在地上暖呼呼，就半夜去厕所有点麻烦。但有人是喜欢侧睡的，且关节和腰都不好，那就不是一点点受罪了。不到半小时就已经疼得不行。腰不好的她从地上爬起来也难，没家俱也就没个搭手的地方，很容易再闪着腰。好不容易爬起来了，却半天也直不起腰，自嘲像极了街上那些驼背弯腰的韩国老太。她一晩上几乎没怎么睡着，早上起来浑身上下都痛，发誓以后再也不住这样的旅馆跟着体验生活了。
一早女房东就送来了简单的早餐，二片烤面包，一点果酱，几片苹果和二碗芝麻糊。房间实在太小，被子铺开就只剩下门口一点点的空间了。女主人告诉我们把被子折起来放边上，在睡觉地方吃早餐。还真是一地多用。地上看着像铺了地板，但其实是一种韩国传统的纸。昨天刚来的时候，主人特地让我们把行李箱的轮子都擦干净后才带进房间，怕弄脏弄坏了这层纸。
上午去韩屋村周围转转，在艺术家小村里碰到一位艺术家在街头搞了个小艺术花园，热心地拉着我们在他的艺术作品前拍照，可放在社交媒体上，为他拉点赞。来到城门楼旁，那里正在举行韩国少年舞蹈比赛，小年轻们都在那里准备，都是那种街头舞，等了半个多小时也没见正式开始。
又到找地方垫肚子的时候了，今天去的地方是昨天就选好的，全州是Bibimbap 的发源地，又是我们最爱韩菜之一，在美国我们叫石锅饭，饭和菜放在滚烫的热石锅里。来韩国后，发现大多数餐厅只卖放在不锈钢碗里那种，味道虽可以，但就没有石锅里吃得香喷喷，所以昨天路过这一家饭店看见有这种热石锅的，就说今天来这里试试。这热石锅拌饭就是比不锈钢碗里的好，但还是觉得美国的更合我们口味。还叫了小排骨汤，味道不错。
酒足饭饱后又徒步去了韩屋村外的壁画村。在壁画村里，家家户户的外墙上都画着各色各样的壁画，给原本破旧简陋的小屋带来新的生机。
回到韩屋村内，再次来到城门楼旁，舞蹈大赛已开始，凑热闹看了一阵之后便去了附近的夜市。又要了一份昨晚刚吃过的肉蛋薄饼，再加一大盒油炸小蟹算是今晚夜餐，油炸食品吃多了会腻，油炸小螃蟹居然没吃完。
明天要启程回首尔了，品韩菜看热闹之行就要慢慢地拉下帷幕。女儿对我们这次韩国游总结得很好：吃，吃，吃！
